Car-coupling



(No Model.)

H. H. WARNER. I

CAR CDUPUNG. A lication filed Au s5, 18

Patented Sept. 20, I898.

UNITED STAT S ATENT O 'HmraYH. WARNER, or TACOMA, WASIHNGTON.

can-consume.

srnomoarrorr forming part'of'Letters' Patent No. 611,025,'datedSeptember 20, lees;

Application filed August 9, 1898. Serial No. 688,195. (No modal.)

To all whom it, may concern.-

Washington, have invented a certain new and nsefullnrprovement inCar-Couplers, of which improvement the following is a specification. Myinvention relates to car-couplers of the vertical-plane or MasterOar-Builders type,

and its object is to enable the delays and inconvenience occasioned bythe breakage of the knuckles of couplers on moving trains to be avoidedby the provision of atemporary substitute for a broken knuckle, by theinsertion of which the car on which the breakage occurs may withoutdelay or liability to further accident to the couplerbe hauled to theterminal or to a pointwhere" permanent repair may be conveniently,made.

To this end my invention, generally stated, consists in a special orsubstitute knuckle adapted to be connected with a coupler-head of theMaster Car-Builders type and to conple either with an ordinary knuckleor with a link pin,.the substitute knuckle being held in operativeposition by clutching engagement with the outer surface of the wall ofthe coupler.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the operation of freight-trains of the materially increased size andweight employed in approved standard practice delays are frequentlyoccasioned in transit by damageto or breakage of the knuckles ofcar-couplers of the Master Car-Builders type,'which delays may to alarge extent be avoided or reduced by the provision ofa suitabletemporary substitute for the broken knuckle which can be promptly fittedto its place and by reason of the great variety of 'formsof knuckles nowbending the knuckle-pin of the disabled coupler, owing to the spacebetween thelugswhich hold it and to the fact that the knuckle-pin isusually inadequate to sustain the draft strain and in bending oftendamages or breaks available, the couplers are chained together, v s

which operation delays the train and often has to be repeated -before aterminal orrepair station is reached. To avoid these objections, thecaboose or tool cars of trains are often supplied with a spare knuckleof each of the various kinds in ordinary use. Each of these has its ownspecial design of tail-locking mechanism, which necessitates keeping andcarrying an inconveniently large stock of knuckles in'each caboose-carand also that the train-crews be-educated in the removal and replacementof knuckles on the road and be provided with the necessary tools forthis work. Some of the knuckle attachments are 'difficult to change evenby those having a fair knowledge of proper methods, and de-' a knucklefrom a car which may be at hand on a siding and be provided with acoupler I of the desired type. This operation involves delay in itselfand additional delay and dlfficulty to those who must handle thestanding car from which the knuckle has been taken.

The objectionable features of train-service above indicated areefiectually avoidedby the employment of my' invention, which provides asubstitute knuckle readily insertible by ordinary train-hands withoutspecial tools and by means of which the car having the disabled couplercan be safely and properly hauled to a point where proper knu kles andrepairers are available to restore it to normal condition or betaken tothe terminal station, if desired. The substitute knuckle is madeadaptable to all oar-couplers oflthe Master.

' Car-Builders type and capable cit-engaging automatieallywith theknuckles of such couplers on their proper contour lines of draft whensubstituted for a broken or disabled knuckle. It mayalso'be used inconnection with the ordinary couplingby the employment of a link andpirhas shown in Fig.2.

Its application is effected without removing any parts other than thebroken knucklewhieh'it replaces, and when this is done upon the road .intransit -no special 'tools are re quired.

In the accompanyingdrawings,'Figure 1 is a plan view of a MasterOar-Builders coupler.

provided with my invention, coupled to a similar coupler in normalcondition; Fig. 2, a similar view showings coupler provided with myinvention connected by a link and pin to acoupler of the ordinary type;Fig. 3,

a side view inelevation of the lefthand coupler of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig.4, a plan or top view of the substitute knuckle detached,and Fig. 5 afront elevation of the same.

In the practice of my invention I provide a substitute knuckle having abody 1 of subs'tantially similar form to that of the ordinary knuckle,provided with a central passage 2 for the insertion of a knuckle-pin,and a coupling-arm 3'of standard contour in which is formed a passage 4fora link couplingpin,

- these portions of the knuckle corresponding substantially withtheordinary constructions. A stop-arm 5, which is formed upon the body 1,projects therefrom on the oppo- 'cent coupler.

site side from the coupling-arm 3 and is adapted to bear on and engagein the manner of a clutch the body of the coupling when the coupling-armis inoperative position- .that is to say, the position which it-occupieswhen coupled witlrthe knuckle of the adja- By such hearing or engagementit is held in this position during the exertion of draft strain with thesame firmness as if the tailpiece and locking mechanism of the ordinaryknuckle were employed. The stop-arm 5, which may be made of thesamedepth as or of greater depth than the openingin the coupler-head, isin this instance shown as projecting outwardly, so that its end bears onthe outer wall of the coupler-head. It will be obvious that .in theapplication of the substitute knuckle of the It will be seen thatrthestrain of draft will be exerted upon the knuckle-pin and upon the bodyof the coupler through the stop-arm 5 and that the stop-arm by itsclutch engagement with the body of the coupler limits the forwardmovement of the coupler-arm 3 and holds it in proper position foragreement with the contour lines on the faces of the couplers. In orderto prevents the coupler arm from plied, and wi inner wall of thecoupler-head when the coupler-arm 3 is moved inwardly or toward the faceof the coupler-head.

The substitute knuckles are made of steel or wrought-iron, and severalof them canbe conveniently carried in the caboose or waycar of a trainready for use in emergencies, in which the?' can be readily and quicklyap- 1 enable the comparatively large stock ofextra knuckles ordinarilycarried to be dispensed with, as well as avoid trouble and delay inapplication, which is commonly ex rienced in present practice.

claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Asubstitute knuckle, adapted to be-co'nnected with a coupler-head of theMaster Car- Bnilders type and provided with means for being' held inoperative position byapositive clutching engagement with the outersurface of the wall of the coupler. I

2. A substitute knuckle for a coupler-head .of the Master Car-Builderstype, having a bodg insertible in the opening of a couplerhea acoupling-arm of standard contour on one side of'isaid body, and astop-'arm,adapted to bear against the outer surface of the wall of (21xcoupler-head, on the opposite side of said he 3. A substitute knuckleforacoupler-head of the Master Gar-Builders type, having a bodyiusertible betweenthe lugs of a couplerhead, provided with a passa e fora knucklepin to connect it with said lugs, a couplingarm of standardcontour on. one side 0 said body, provided with a passage for a linkcoupling-pin, and a stop-arm adapted to bear against the outer surfaceof the wall of a coupler, on the opposite side of said body.

4. A substitute knuckle for a coupler-head of the Master Car-Builderstype,-having a body insertible in the opening of a couplerhead, acoupling-arm of standard contour on one side of said body, a stop-armadapted to bear against the outer surface of the wall of a coupler-headon the opposite side of said body, and a check -piece adapted to bearagainst the inner surface of the wall of a coupler-head.

5."lhe eombination'of a' coupler-head of the Master Car-Builders type, asubstitute knuckle having a body fitting between the lugs of saidcoupler-head, a eoupliug-arm of standard contour on one side of saidbody, and a stop-arm adapted to bear against the coupler on the oppositeside of said head, and a knuckle pin connecting the substitute knuckleto the coupler-head.

HENRY H. \VARNER.

Witnesses:

CHAS. ALLMEN, W. H. HAYDEN.

